Commission on Revenue Allocation boss Mary Wanyonyi sets the stage for a legislative showdown, demanding a Sh43 billion increase to save devolved units from financial paralysis.

A fiscal battle line has been drawn in Nairobi. The Commission on Revenue Allocation (CRA) has formally recommended that county governments receive Sh458.74 billion as their equitable share for the 2026/2027 financial year. This proposal is a direct challenge to the National Treasury, which has consistently pushed for lower allocations citing debt obligations and revenue shortfalls. The CRA’s figure represents a significant Sh43.9 billion boost, a lifeline that governors argue is necessary to keep devolution alive.

The Cost of Devolution

CRA Chairperson Mary Wanyonyi has anchored this recommendation on the biting reality of inflation and the increased cost of running devolved functions. Counties are currently grappling with stalled projects, striking doctors, and mounting pending bills. The proposed Sh458.74 billion is calculated to cover these expanding recurrent expenditures while leaving room for development. "We cannot starve the grassroots to feed the centre," seems to be the guiding philosophy of the Commission's latest report.

The Treasury, however, has tabled a counter-proposal of Sh420 billion, setting the stage for a protracted mediation process in Parliament. The gap between the two figures is not just a number; it represents the difference between stocked dispensaries and empty shelves, between graded roads and impassable mud baths.

• The Numbers: The CRA wants Sh458.74 billion. The Treasury is offering Sh420 billion. The difference is nearly Sh39 billion of contested resources.
• Revenue Reality: The CRA argues that the projected growth in nationally raised revenue justifies the increase. If the national cake is growing, the counties’ slice must grow with it.
• Senate vs. Assembly: This dispute will likely pit the Senate (pro-counties) against the National Assembly (often aligned with the Treasury), replaying a familiar legislative tug-of-war.

Governors on the Warpath

The Council of Governors is expected to rally behind the CRA’s proposal. For them, the Treasury’s lower figure is a strangulation of devolution. They argue that the national government continues to hold onto funds for functions that have been devolved, a constitutional violation that starves counties of their rightful dues.

As the budget cycle heats up, all eyes will be on Parliament. Will the MPs vote to empower their home counties, or will they bow to the austerity measures dictated by the Treasury mandarins? The fate of the 2026/27 county budgets hangs in the balance.